Red Lobster revives Endless Shrimp

Red Lobster brought Endless Shrimp back on April 20, less than two years after the promotion became shorthand for the chain’s financial collapse. (redlobster.com) (usatoday.com) The new version is a limited-time, dine-in offer at participating restaurants, priced at $24.99 in most locations, with some markets charging more. (redlobster.com) (foxbusiness.com) Red Lobster said guests can rotate through five preparations: Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, and a new “Marry Me Shrimp.” Chief executive Damola Adamolekun announced the return in a video first aired on “Good Morning America.” (redlobster.com) (abcnews.go.com) The offer matters because the last version became a symbol of how badly Red Lobster had mispriced traffic-driving deals. Reuters, cited by USA Today, reported Endless Shrimp accounted for $11 million of the company’s $76 million net loss in 2023. (usatoday.com) Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 19, 2024, in the Middle District of Florida. Court records show the company entered bankruptcy while keeping restaurants operating through the restructuring. (dm.epiq11.com) (restaurantdive.com) By the time a bankruptcy judge approved Red Lobster’s exit plan in September 2024, the chain had slimmed its footprint to 544 restaurants across the United States and Canada. NBC News reported the company had closed about 130 locations during the process. (nbcnews.com) (usatoday.com) The company is now pitching the shrimp comeback as a more controlled test of demand, not a permanent menu fixture. Its April 20 announcement called the return a response to “thousands of social media mentions” asking for the promotion back. (redlobster.com) That leaves Red Lobster trying to reclaim the promotion customers loved while avoiding the pricing mistakes that helped sink the last version. (abcnews.go.com) (usatoday.com)